Otto Klein

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What Works For Me

Volume 4, Issue 6

Otto Klein

OTTO KLEIN, PART OWNER OF THE SPOKANE INDIANS BASEBALL CLUB, has worked for 17 years in the sports-marketing field. He has been with the Indians since 1993 and currently serves as the senior vice president, overseeing the sponsorship, promotion and public relations aspects of the team. Under his guidance, the Indians have won the Northwest League’s award for promotional excellence 13 of the past 15 years while selling out of sponsorship inventory for a record four straight years.

I would argue that my job isn’t much different than yours, other than mine has a better conference room consisting of fresh-cut grass, painted foul lines and enough stadium seating to fit 7,000 colleagues. It’s just, well, more fun! I get to be a boss most of the time, a friend all of the time, a mentor on some days, a salesman every day, a politician because I need to be and a disciplinarian because I have to be. My office is at a field of dreams, and my calendar year is called a season. I believe the best part of what I do comes down to one fundamental principle: If you don’t love what you do—and I mean love what you do, as in not being able to wait on Sunday until work starts on Monday—then do something else. I love what I do.

If there’s one thing that I do well, it’s making a list. Even as a young child—thanks to my mother—I made lists all the time. There’s a list for this and a list for that. (Sometimes I wonder if I need to make a list to keep track of my lists?!) So when OTTO the Mascot (yes, the other Otto) forgets the words to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” or my Promotions Team misses an on-field promotion, I’m not worried. I likely have the solution written on one of my lists.

And this is what works for me (in list form, of course):

Brainstorm every idea. Isn’t it incredible the power of multiple minds? Synergy works for me. At work, we try to brainstorm new ideas constantly, and it has paid off.
Work hard, and play just as hard. I’m a firm believer—and I credit my father for this—in closing up shop and filling my tank with outdoor activities (hunting, fly-fishing, golf, basketball, et cetera) whenever possible.
Last year doesn’t apply. I like using history as a reference, but it doesn’t always apply to what you’re doing today. I don’t allow my staff to use the phrase “Well, that’s how we did it last year” as an answer. We review how we did things before, but we try to think of a new way to do it today.
Invent or die. I’m a firm believer that you need fresh ideas every year to be the best. In my business, the customer has high entertainment expectations, and we need to fulfill them as best we can.
Keep it simple. I apply this principle to everything from stadium signage to on-field promotions. If I don’t think you can read it or understand it in the first few seconds, then I start over.
Don’t fear the red pen. I edit other people’s work a lot with my red pen, but I welcome critique of mine as well. I’m certainly not perfect and don’t pretend to be.
Do business with people who do business with you. Enough said.
Spread the wealth. We are approached by charities and fundraisers every day. Although we can’t afford to spend cash, we donate what we can. It’s normally $100,000-plus in ticket donations every year.
Napkin, anyone? I’m as comfortable signing a contract on a napkin as you are on a 10-page document. Look me in the eye, and tell me: Do we have a deal, or don’t we?
Be visible and approachable. My office doesn’t have a door. Does yours?
Hire for personality; train for skill. I work with people with fashion degrees, English degrees and everything in between. You don’t need a sports-marketing degree to be successful in sports marketing.
Customer service is the name of the game. Everyone applies customer service, but do you eat, sleep and breathe customer service? I do.